What Wearing Bikinis and Eating Food Sacrificed to Idols Have in Common

I know, I know, the title of this post sounds like a bad, corny Christian joke. But I promise it's not. No, this is me seeking to get involved in a conversation that has been cluttering my newsfeed for quite some time. This is me as a female, big sister, and youth leader seeking to engage in a conversation that is not new but that I believe is changing drastically. That is all about the topic of modesty.

See, the modesty conversation is changing, and not for the better. 

There is a dialogue happening amongst women today, Christian and nonChristian alike that is working to align immodest dressing with the movement for Feminist Rights. Suddenly saying women should dress modestly is limiting their rights as human beings. I have read blogs and tweets and posts all about a girl's right to show as much skin as she pleases because it is her right. I have watched in dismay as the likes and approving comments cause these posts to go viral. Everything in my mind and heart screams as I watch how twisted we have made the topic of modesty. When I was a teenager and my Christian guy friends expressed their frustration with how girls were dressing because it made it harder for them to keep their minds pure, my heart broke for them. Today when I say that, people say their hearts break for me as though I have somehow squandered away my dignity by caring about the needs of another.

When it comes to modesty, compassion has been removed from the equation and selfishness has replaced it. 

Let me make something very clear, I am not saying that women can control the minds of men or that women should be held responsible for the thoughts and actions of the men around them. However, I am indeed saying that as their sisters in Christ, we have a responsibility to make sure that our defense of our rights does not cause those around us to stumble. We must begin to treat dressing modestly in the same way Paul treated eating food sacrificed to idols.

In the first letter to the Corinthians found in the New Testament, Paul is answering a question about eating food sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8). The Christians asking this question were very aware that the idols this food had been sacrificed to were not real, and that there was no magical power of any sorts in this food, so they could see no problem with eating it, and neither could Paul. There really was no problem with eating that food according to Paul, because doing so did not draw them farther from God. However, Paul tells them not to do so. He makes it clear that though the Corinthian Christians  may have been able to eat this food without falling into serving idols does not mean that their younger brothers and sisters in Christ could do the same. It also does not mean that those watching would not be confused as to what these Christians truly believed. So even though Paul understands that the mature Christians in the Corinthian church could have eaten that food without sinning, he instructs them not to. Why? Because as Christians their lives were not about themselves. They were entirely about those around them. He makes it clear that the Corinthians were in danger of making their own personal rights more important than the salvation of those around them. The final verse of this section sums it all up quite nicely:

"Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will ever again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." - 1 Corinthians 8:13

Christian sisters we need to begin making this verse a part of our getting ready routines in the morning. We need to begin saying, "If wearing spandex makes my brother stumble, I will never wear them again." "If wearing a bikini causes my brother to trip up, I will invest in a tankini." I am not telling you to dress like a nun. I am not saying we must all cover our faces and succumb to a life of inferiority. I do believe in equal rights for men and women, for crying out loud I'm a women in ministry! Still, I am afraid of what may happen if we make dressing immodestly a defense of our so called female rights. We must all remember that as Christians, our lives are not our own. If that super tight tube dress does not bring you closer to God (and I assure you it does not) then why defend wearing it and risk causing your brother to stumble? Guys, if wearing your pants way too low causes your sister to stumble, pull them up and buy a belt. Male or female, if you are seeking to follow Jesus you must seek to serve others, and if that means being a little hot because you're wearing a shirt that actually meets your pants, I'd say it's well worth it.

For more information on why modesty matters, check out this video. It's spot on.